1. Question 1 - IN WHAT WAYS DOES
YOUR MEDIA PRODUCT USE,
DEVELOP OR CHALLENGE FORMS
AND CONVENTIONS OF REAL
MEDIA PRODUCTS?
By Holly Morsley
2. Introduction
• The media products that I produced during this
project is a music video for “Grace Kelly” by Mika,
as well as creating appropriate branding by
developing a CD digipak and a magazine advert to
promote the product. In order to produce a
professional, yet unique product, it was vital that
some codes and conventions of the genre were
both adhered to and challenged. To see how my
product achieve this, I will be comparing it to
three similar media texts: the advert and digipak
for Little Mix – Glory Days album and the music
video for the song Touch by Little Mix
4. SEXUALISATIONWhen it came to sexualisation, it was imperative that I did not
sexualise either gender in any way as the point of the video
was to challenge some of the common tropes of the pop
genre. Mise-en-scene was the most important aspect in
ensuring that this convention was challenged. The costumes
for both the male and female actors kept their dignity and
allowed them to look attractive while keeping them neutral.
One aspect of the costume’s that may be seen as sexualising is
the lipstick worn by the female artist. The colour red often has
connotations of passion and sexuality; the boldness also draws
attention to her lips. However this aspect of the costume was
supposed to emulate the style commonly associated by Grace
Kelly . The gestures of the actors made in the music video aim
to be extravagant and over-the-top, as one of the themes of
the song was drama and performance, rather than being
provocative. Nevertheless, the male actor did portray some
flirtation by winking at the camera during the video , however
this was more for flamboyance rather than sexualisation. This
contrasts other media products that contain much more
sexualisation, such as the video for Touch which employs
skimpy outfits and erotic dance moves to convey the theme of
sex. It must be noted that this is more prominent due to the
overall theme of the song rather than the genre itself.
5. BRIGHT COLOURS
Involving bright colours was something that,
which initially was never intended to be in the
product, was employed predominantly within
the piece. Mise-en-scene was one of the
methods that helped involve this feature,
mainly props and setting. The gay pride flag
allowed for bright colours to be featured within
the product while also showing the artist’s
support for social movements, which would
ultimately improve their public image. It was
also used as a costume for the same reasons.
Within editing, bright colours were employed
as a form of overlay to link with the lyrics (“I
could be brown, I could be blue”) and also
creating an upbeat feel to the music video. One
might argue that, because the colours are
somewhat toned down by the overlay, it is still
present. This was used in the video for Touch
also, with the setting containing bright purples
and pinks. However this would have been done
for the aesthetic purpose.
6. Relatability
The relatability of the music video is subjective to the
individual and overall I would say that I conformed and
challenged to this convention. The costumes for the video
were casual and were kept relatable to the audience. The
location of the artist’s bedroom could also be seen as
relatable as many young people would have been in a similar
situation (i.e. singing in their bedroom to their favourite
artists). However the inclusion of the main artist applying
makeup would not apply to most of the male audience and
therefore would mean that the video is unrelatable. I wanted
to challenge this because it would make my product unique
from the rest of the pop genre, allowing my product to stand
out as a piece. Furthermore the inclusion of the Grace Kelly
actress would not apply to younger audiences who would not
understand the references to the actress as they won’t be
aware of who she is. Again, the relatability for ‘Touch’ is
subjective to the individual as the theme of sex depends on
the individuals own experiences. For example, the girls are all
wearing thigh-high boots and body suits that won’t apply to
the everyday viewer. It was important that in my product, the
outfits that are presented in the product relate to what the
audience would wear to make it more appealing. This is why I
chose to have my actor where a jeans and t-shirt
combination.
7. THEMES
One of the themes of the video was self-expression, a
theme that is not commonly displayed in music videos.
However it could be associated with freedom, a common
theme, which would mean that this convention was
conformed to. Self-expression is presented through the
artist applying make-up as it shows a freedom from
common stereotypes and societal gender roles. This is
also expressed in the shots with the artist wearing make-
up to emulate Grace Kelly and Freddie Mercury. This
shows the conflict in the artist between the identities that
he should present himself and shows him wanting to
present himself in those identities. The main theme of
‘Touch’ is sexual connection, which is expressed in the
methods stated previously. This theme is evocative of
freedom, connecting to the genre and overall showing
that my product is successful. While both themes evoke a
sense of freedom and liberty, they contrast in the level of
sexual connotations that are presented and the amount
of sexualisation that can be present in the product.
Furthermore, while both illustrate the theme of sexuality,
they contrast in the areas of sexuality that they present.
8. PRODUCT PLACEMENT
As I didn’t want to include a product placement in my
video, this convention was ultimately challenged.
There were a couple of incidental product placements
on beauty products, however this wasn’t enough to
create a proper, and professional product placement.
Furthermore I felt that the inclusion of a product
placement would take away from the overall meaning
of the narrative, almost making the video look cheap.
An example of this would be Katy Perry in her video for
Roar – in which she includes the Nokia Lumia
smartphone. When placing the product in with the
setting, we can see that the product itself does not fit
with the general aesthetic of the video. This creates a
garishly obvious product placement that results in the
meaning behind the video – a sense of animalistic
empowerment – almost pointless as the audience are
focused on the product placement. For this reason
alone, I chose not to conform to this convention.
9. EDITING
The editing in a pop music video is often fast-paced, upbeat and
keeps the audience engaged. I would say that, for the most part, I
achieved this successfully; however there were some instances that
meant the editing was slowed down for creative effect. For
example during the faster tempo parts of the song rapidly changed
between different shots using jumpcuts. However during the bridge
and the pre-chorus section, the editing was slowed down to match
the tempo of the song and transitions such as cross dissolve were
used to create a melting effect. Quieter moments in the song, such
as the incidental “ahhhs” and “mmmm”s were also kept at a low
opacity to highlight the volume. The editing in ‘Touch’, much like
my product, reflects the pace of the song, which is intense and
slow. Therefore this shows that I have conformed to this
convention.
10. SETTING
The settings of the video were relatable to both the audience
and the genre. The video was mainly set in the bedroom of
the artist which, as stated before, would allow the video to
relate to the audience as a lot of teenagers spend a great deal
of time in their bedroom as this is where they feel the most
comfortable and able to express themselves like the artist. By
showing the artist expressing themselves in a setting that the
audience would understand, it allows them to relate and
creates a positive image. It would also link to the youth
culture that the music industry often tries to appeal to.
Therefore by including this setting, it appears as an active
creative choice. The dressing table allows the glamour of the
industry and the fun nature of the pop genre to be evoked
while also represents the theme of self-expression. The
studio setting for the Grace Kelly shots makes the video look
industry standard while also relating the video to the genre.
The setting for Little Mix’s video is a studio which, while
doesn’t necessarily relate to the audience, creates an
aesthetic that appeals to the audience and makes the video
memorable. Overall I would say that I conformed to this
convention.
11. Props
The use of props in my music video was heavily utilised
throughout. Props such as the microphone stand were
used to enhance the appearance of the performance
and add to the idea of make-believe – the artist wants
to perform professionally but feels closeted by his
identity. The use of the make-up props during the shots
of the dressing table – allowing the video to link to the
concept of self-image and identity. This concept was
also evoked using motif props such as the pride flag,
which enforced the videos overall message of sexual
liberty and freedom
As the video for Touch does not have many props used,
relying only on the dance moves of the artists to portray
the theme, the video for Hair would be a more
appropriate comparison. The video shows the girls using
hair products – which could be used to symbolise them
getting rid of the negativity behind the past
relationships. Furthermore the pizza that they eat
earlier on in the video is symbolic of the comfort that
the girls provide as pizza is commonly associated with
comfort eating. Overall I would say that my
13. The codes and conventions that I used and
developed in the digipak were:
Large eye-catching image on the front.
The album title
Tracklist
Record label
Barcode
CD which has the artist name and title on
Artwork that relates to the artist or song
14. The digipak employed many of the conventions of the
pop genre that allowed it to be easily identifiable as a
pop piece. The eye-catching image on the front involves
the artist with bright colours in the cascading rainbow
shadow that shows the flamboyant nature of the artists,
relates it back to the genre and represents the theme of
the album of self-expression in the entertainment
industry through LGBT+ imagery. This provides
symbolism of freedom and sexual liberty that the
audience can see through the used of this imagery. In
order to make it stand out, I positioned it at the centre of
the panel. The colour scheme of the Glory Days album
employs a colour scheme that uses more feminine
colours to aim towards the female target audience,
unlike mine which is used to illustrate the theme.
However the overall use of the artist on the front in both
products shows my success in conforming to conventions
of the genre.
15. The layout of the text on the front cover, with the
artist name at the top of the panel and the name of
the album at the bottom of the panel, allows them
to be noticed by the audience and keeps them the
main focus of the digipak. The font for these two
aspects of the digipak were kept straight and bold to
make them easily legible The large image of the
artist allows the audience to recognise the artist and
establish who the main artist is. It also grabs the
audience’s attention. The track list was positioned
on the left of the panel as this area is the place
where the audience are likely to look first, drawing
their attention to the information. This was stylised
in the same way as the rest of the text to keep
consistency throughout the product and to make it
look more attractive. The black, serif text allows the
text to be legible while also being attractive to the
eye. Contrastingly, the font on the digipak for Glory
Days is pink and jagged, representing freedom.
While it could be argued that this shows failure to
conform, it could present my product as individual.
16. The logo for the record label – Spotlight Records – was placed
next to the copyright claim so that they can easily be linked
together. The blue neon font allows this aspect of the digipak to
stand out and to link it to the flamboyant nature of video and the
overall pop genre. Overall this convention was conformed to.
The barcode was included to allow the audience to actually
purchase the product, while matching the background of the
product to allow it to blend in. This conventions of the digipak,
was therefore conformed to. The record labels for Little Mix are
used to highlight the success of the artist as they are signed by
Sony and Syco records – big names in the music industry.
This record label and the barcode were systematically placed in
the lower right corner of the panel to ensure that they are
prevalent enough that they are noted by the audience when
purchasing the product. However it was vital that they did not
distract from the main design features of the product. This is why
these features have been positioned in this way.
17. The CD design, which was intended
to emulate a film reel, had both the
album name and the artist on the
design. This is relevant to the theme
of the product – which revolves
around the entertainment industry
and how the artist fits into it.
Therefore I wanted to choose
universally recognised image that
can relate the theme of the product.
This is why this design was chosen.
In order to conform to this
convention while remaining faithful
to the initial design, I employed it as
part of a label that would normally
go on the front of a film reel when it
is being stored. Overall this allows
for the information to be displayed
without taking away from the overall
effect.
18. The images throughout the digipak were used to create
continuity throughout the digipak and to sell the artist. In
order to keep it continuous throughout, I kept to the same
rainbow colour scheme. Keeping variety involved changing
the facial expressions of the artists and using a different
design template. This allowed me to sell the artist to the
audience and create a good artists image. For example,
showing the artist with different facial expressions while
employing the same styles has allows for both continuity
and presents the artist in different lights and emotions,
allowing for a better artist image. This somewhat reflects
how other artists present themselves on their album cover,
such as the cover of the Glory Days album with the artists
on front. They have a variety of facial expressions among
them, presenting the different sides to the act.
20. The codes and conventions of a magazine advert include:
• The release date
• Album titles
• Image of album cover
• Artist name
• Reviews from other sources
• Information about the album i.e. social media
• Where it is available to purchase
• Record label logo
DUE TO A LACK OF AVAILABILITY OF A MAGAZINE ADVERT FOR THE
ALBUM, I WILL BE USING A POSTER FOR THE GLORY DAYS TOUR AS
COMPARISON
21. While a specific release date wasn’t included on the
advert, the advert informed the reader that the album
was available to purchase. This was to evoke a sense of
urgency that would entice the reader to buy the album.
For Little Mix’s product, the tour dates take up a vast
majority of the poster, highlighting the importance of
the dates. This, too, conveys a sense of urgency that
forces the audience to purchase the product. From that,
we can see that this poster conforms to the conventions
of the genre. Unlike Little Mix, I did not include a
location of purchase or how to obtain the product on
my poster. As I included that the website on the poster, I
felt that the audience were supplying with enough
information. Furthermore, it would encourage the
audience to actively seek out the product and purchase
the product through the artist’s website – making the
artist more money.
22. When it came to emulating the album cover
on the magazine, I used the same font for the
album title and the artist name and font
styling. I also employed the same image on the
front cover on my magazine advert. This was
used to draw attention to my product and
make it stand out in a magazine. It also creates
continuity in allow the audience to link the
two ancillary products together and encourage
them to by the advert. The link between the
poster and digipak for Glory Days is also
established through the employment of similar
images and text, showing a clear link between
the two products, thus allowing the product to
be recognisable to the audience. In doing this
with my own product, I have therefore
conformed to the conventions of the magazine
advert.
23. For my two artist reviews, I chose
two music journalism companies
that had a big influence on the
music industry: MusicWeek and
RollingStone. I felt that these two
companies also allowed for
different age groups to be
represented as they are aimed at
two different demographics. As the
comparative product does not
feature this, it is impossible to
compare. They were included to
entice the audience into buying the
product as they are influenced by
professional opinion, thus proving
that I conformed to this convention.
24. While most adverts have a specific banner with the album information such as
release date and featured songs, I chose to challenge this convention as it made the
poster look generic rather than professional. However the information was kept on
the same area of the layout to pay homage to this trope. The inclusion of social
media and website links is a fairly modern convention of the magazine advert.
However it is important when linking the product to social media and allowing the
product to be interactive – which would appeal to the younger audience. Therefore, I
included the album’s hashtag and a link to the album’s website to appeal to the
younger audience. However this was kept in small print at the bottom of the screen
in order to prevent it from diverting the audience’s attention from the important
information. Little Mix, with their massive social media following, understandably
have their social media on the bottom of the advert, allowing their young audience
to engage with the discussion and keep updated. Therefore, by keeping up with new
products, I was able to conform to this aspect of the magazine advert.